#Black Soot: How Port Harcourt residents are dying slowly

9144h

| Onnaedo Okafor

Soot.

There’s
fire on the mountain, but nobody seems to be on the run.

Every
morning, as Port Harcourt resident, Dagogo
Odigiri (not real name), clears his throat while brushing, he notices black
phlegm in his bathroom sink. He’s also left with black particles when he cleans
his nostrils.

For
over 9 months now, Port-Harcourt has been enveloped by an ominous black soot.
This has gotten much worse in the last few weeks. But despite the glaring
health hazard such environmental pollution could portend, the government has
remained largely complacent on the issue.

Although
the exact source of the soot remains mostly unknown, there have been various
speculations as to the cause. Some allege that the soot was trigged by the
Nigerian Navy and Joint Task Force (JTF) burning illegal oil refineries and
barges belonging to oil thieves. While others attribute it to activities of
illegal bunkers who have moved their operations closer to the city after
getting chased from the creeks by government security agents. Burning tires and
years of multiple oil spillages have also been fingered as the cause of the
mysterious black soot.

But
the Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps (NSCDC) insists that the soot is a result of the activities of oil
bunkers. In a chat with Bounce News, NSCDC spokesperson Michael Oguntuase denied the complicity
of government agents who have been accused of improperly disposing illegal
refineries and products, thus triggering the black soot. Oguntase pointed out
that the duty of Civil Defence is to stop the operators from burning and
processing the crude oil.

After months of near silence from the
Rivers state government, it eventually set up a taskforce to assess the matter
a few weeks ago. In a press release sent by the office of the Commissioner of
the Ministry of Environment, the commissioner, Prof Roseline Konya advised residents “not to panic” but “complement
the office of the state government by assisting to look out for the cause of
the strange soot and report the location to the government through dedicated
phone lines”

Also, the Rivers State Task Force released a set of public health measures
for the soot, warning the public to avoid drinking rain water for now. It also
said all sources of water and food should be protected from particles and urged
residents to wash all fruits before eating, wash all plates and utensils before
use, wash hands regularly, and generally maintain a higher level of hygiene.

It also
urged people who are at risk of respiratory conditions to wear nose masks for
now, adding that the soot is a form of pollution with hydrocarbon base. The
board further advised food vendors to cover all food for public consumption.

Furthermore, the government reportedly
ordered the shutdown of an asphalt-processing plant saying that it belched
thick smoke.

But these actions are hardly enough.

If more decisive action isn’t taken by the
government, residents of Port Harcourt could be on the verge of a deadly
respiratory disease outbreak.

This much has been acknowledged by the
Nigerian Senate who, during their plenary session on Tuesday, February 28th,
urged the president to note that there is an impending environmental danger in
Rivers state.

Further acknowledging the complacence of
the government in handling the issue, the senate charged the Ministry of
Environment and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) with
investigating the matter and report findings back to the House.

Investigations, however, seem to be all
that’s been happening while residents continue to bear the brunt of
government’s ineffectiveness.

In a chat with Bounce News, Port
Harcourt resident and lawyer, Luscious
Nwosu confirmed that several of his staff have since come down with upper
respiratory tract infection in the wake of the black soot appearance. He
further noted the general indifference of the government to the situation.

Also, speaking exclusively with Bounce
News, Ida-e-erefa Briggs
noted that residents hardly go around with protective masks. This is in spite
of the severe health risk the black soot endemic poses. According to him, with
the current recession in the country, people are more concerned with earning
money to feed than care about getting protective masks.

But the health risks associated with the
black soot endemic in Port Harcourt cannot be overemphasised.

Speaking with Bounce News, Port Harcourt based Microbiologist, Professor Confidence Wachukwu said the
soot may be very dangerous to the health of residents if not properly dealt
with.

Going further, Medical Doctor and president of Medical Women Association,
Rivers State, Rosemary
Ogu, who
also spoke to Bounce News said the soot in Port Harcourt could cause cancer
and respiratory diseases. Ogu also
pointed out that the soot which comes in form of carbon deposits can
irritate the lungs, causing cough, catarrh and eventually death because it
obstructs the airways.

A chat with several residents of Port
Harcourt revealed a general disconnect between the public and government. While
some were aware of the government task force set up to tackle the soot menace,
others weren’t. This begs the question – just how committed is government to
finding a solution?

Also, just how intense and widespread is
an enlightenment campaign informing residents on how to stay healthy in the
wake of such heavy pollution. More importantly, when will the Rivers state
government realise the urgency of such a situation and declare a state of
emergency? It all remains to be seen.